Stretcher.



H. L. JOHNSON & W. H. BRITTON.

STRETCHER.

APPLICATION mg!) APR. 22. 1915.

Patented Oct. 24,1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

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H. L. JOHNSON & W. H. BRITTON.

STRETCHER.

APPL ICATION #ILED APR. 22. I915. Patented Oct. 24:,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

HARRY L. JOHNSON, OF I-IARRISVILLE,

AND WILLIAM H. BRITTON, OF NEW CASTLE,

PENNSYLVANIA.

STRETGHEB.

mosses.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented (lot. 241, 1916.

Application filed April 22, 1915. Serial No. 23,172.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HARRY L. JOHNSON and (VILLIAM H. BRrr'roN, citizens of the United States, residing at Ha rrisville, in the county of Butler and State of Pennsylvania, and of New Castle, in the county of Lawrence and State of Pennsylvania, respectively, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Stretchers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to stretchers for the transportation of sick or injured persons and has for its object the provision of a collapsible stretcher having lateral wings thereon foldable down to facilitate the passsage of the stretcher through narrow doorways and the like, extensible laterally in a horizontal position to form comfortable rests for supporting the arms or limbs of a. patient, and movable upwardly into a vertical position to form retaining walls for preventing the patient from sliding off in case an emergency requires the tilting of the stretcher; the wings when in the last named position cooperating with flaps at the ends of the stretcher detachably engaging the wings.

An important object is the provision of novel means whereby the angular positions of the wings may be securely maintained and yet instantly independently adjusted to suit different requirements.

Other objects and advantages such as the provision of straps extending from wing to wing across the patients body, the provision of peculiar spreader members for holding the stretcher expanded and other details tending to improve the art will be more explicitly brought out hereinafter.

With these objects in View together with the further objects of simplicity, cheapness in manufacture, compactness and durability, the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts as will be carefully brought out in the following description and illustrated in'the accompany ing drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the stretcher with the wings extending horizontally, Fig. 2 is a similar view with the wings swung vertically upward and connected by straps, Fig. 3 is a side elevation of Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is an end view thereof with the wings shown in their horizontal positions bv dotted lines, Fig. 5 is a cross sectional View, Fig. 6 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the stretcher collapsed, and Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view showing the means for adj usting the wings.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the side bars of the main portion of the stretcher which terminate in handles 2 and which have secured thereon legs 3. The bottom a of the stretcher is formed of canvas secured upon the bars 1. The bars 1 are further pro vided upon their sides with handles 5 whereby six persons may carry the stretcher.

The bars 1 are held in their proper spaced relation by bars 6 pivoted at 7 upon the bars 1 and pivotally connected with each other at 8, the latter pivotal connection being out of 'alineinent with the first connections. One bar 6 is provided with a downwardly extending lug 9 engaging the other bar 6 for preventing movement of the bars 6 in one direction, the non-alinement of the three pivot points preventing accidental movement in the other direction. If desired, however, a screw 10 may be inserted through the bars 6 for preventing movement, though this expedient is not essential.

The essential portion of the invention is the provision of wings, designated broadly by the numeral 11 upon each side of the main portion of the stretcher.

Each wing is formed of a sheet of canvas 12 having one edge secured to the bar 1 and its outer edge secured to a longitudinal rod 13 which is supported by a plurality of arms 14 pivotally connected with brackets 15 secured upon the bars 1. The ends of the rods 13 are formed with eyes 16 for a purpose to be described.

In order that the wings 11 may be adjusted to and held at any suitable angle, we provide notched rods 17 upon the legs 3, which rods carry sleeves 18 fitting loosely. The inner face of each sleeve is provided with a tooth 19 which is held normally in engagement with the notches by a leaf spring 20 bearing against the opposite inside face of the sleeve and against the rear edge of the notched rod 17. A link 21 is pivotally connected with an ear formed on each sleeve 18 and is in turn connected with a second link 22 which ispivotally connected with the rod 13.

When the stretcher is first set up the wings. 11 will be disposed a vertical posi tion hanging down below the bars as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 7, the links 21 and 22 being disposed against each other and against the legs 3. The stretcher may be used in this condition for carrying a patient, if desired. In order, however, to add to the patients comfort, it is advisable to have the wings 11 extend horizontally outward from the bars 1. This is accomplished by grasping the rods 18 and pulling then upwardly, whereupon the links 21 and 22 will straighten out and be disposed in end t?) end relation, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4:, and the wings will be disposed horizontally. It is of course understood that there is a lock joint between the links so that they can break inwardly only. The patients limbs may be supported upon the wings and thus add to his comfort by avoiding cramping:- The wings 11 are provided with holes 23 so that access may be had to the handles 5 for carrying the stretcher. lVhen going through narrow doorways or passageways the links 21and 22 may be broken to allow the wings to swing down.

In many cases, it happens that it is necessary to tilt the stretcher in handling a patient, incurring a risk of the patient slipping ofi. In this invention we have made provision for such a contingency, and when it arises, it is merely necessary to pull the rods 13 up as far as possible above the bars 1. The wings will then extend vertically upward and the sleeves 18 will slide up the notched rods 17, return movement bein prevented by the engagement of the teeth 19 within the notches. This position is shown by full lines in Fig. 7 We further provide flaps 2 1 at the ends of the canvas bottom 1 which areequipped with snap hooks 25 engageable with the eyes 16 on the rods 13 for forming vertical retaining walls at the head and foot of the stretcher. Further security against the slippingout ofthe patient is attained by providing a plurality of straps 26 disposed transversely of the stretcher and provided at their ends with snap hooks 27engageable upon the rods 13 adjacent the arms 14: and links 22 as shown in Fig. 2.

I When the wings, flaps and straps are in this position, the patient is so securely held that the stretcher may be carried down a steep stairway or ladder without danger. Suitable straps may be inserted through the handles 5, passed under the stretcher and brought up and secured above it to form a sling so that the stretcher may be lowered and elevated by hoisting when its use occurs in inaccessible places.

For the protection of a patients face or head from sun rays or rain, we provide a rod 28 having one end adjustably engageable within the socket 29 secured to one of the bars 1 for carrying an umbrella 30 which is mounted on the free end of the rod, which is jointed at 33 to permit of closing the umbrella as shown in Fig. 3.

We have also formed 011 one of the wings 11 a pocket 31 for the reception of surgical instruments and other accessories, and a pocket is provided on the underside of one of the bars 1 in which the straps 26 when not in use may be disposed.

Having thus described our invention what we claim is:

1. A stretcher comprising a collapsible body portion, wings pivoted upon the sides thereof, and means for holding said wings in any desired angularly adjusted position.

2. A stretcher comprising a collapsible body portion, wings pivoted upon the sides thereof, and means for holding said wings in any desired angularly adjusted position, said means being independent for each wing.

3. A stretcher comprising a collapsible body portion, wings pivoted upon the sides thereof, and means for holding said wings in angularly adjusted positions, said means comprising rods, sleeves slidable on said rods, links pivotally connected with said sleeves and said wings, and means for bolding said sleeves in adjusted positions on said rods.

#1. A stretcher comprising a collapsible body portion, wings pivoted upon the sides thereof and movable through an arc of one hundred and eighty degrees into an upwardly extending vertical position, and means for holding said wings in adjusted positions, said means comprising notched rods, sleeves slidable on said rods and provided with teeth engaging said notches, springs within said sleeves holding said teeth in engagement with said notches, and links pivotally connected with said sleeves and said wings, said links being foldable inwardly to allow said wings to swing down into a vertical position.

5. A stretcher comprising a body portion, laterally extending wings upon the sides thereof, legs secured to said body portion, and means for holding said wings in angularly adjusted positions, said means comprising notches on said legs, sleeves slidable on said legs and provided with teeth engaging said notches, springs within said sleeves holding said teeth in engagement with said notches, and links pivotally connected with said sleeves and said wings, said links being foldable inwardly to allow said wings to swing down into a vertical position.

6. A stretcher comprising a body portion, laterally extending wings upon the sides thereof, legs having slcts therein secured to said body portion, and means for holding said wings in angularly adjusted positions,

said meanscompri'sing notches on the outer adjustable side and faces of said legs, sleeves slidable within the slots in said legs and provided with teeth engaging said notches, springs within said sleeves bearing against the inside faces of said slots holding said teeth in engagement with said notches, and links pivotally con nected with said sleeves and said wings, said links being foldable inwardly to allow said wings to swing down into a vertical position.

7. A stretcher comprising a collapsible body portion, said body portion comprising two side bars, collapsible braces, and a flexible covering secured to said side bars, wings pivoted upon said side bars, and means for holding said wings in angularly adjusted positions, said means comprising rods, sleeves slidable on said rods, links pivotally connected with said sleeves and said wings, and means for holding said sleeves in adjusted positions on said rods.

8. A stretcher comprising a body portion, side and end portions, said body, side and end portions being collapsible.

.9. A stretcher comprising a body portion, end portions, said stretcher being adapted to collapse into a compact bundle.

10. A stretcher comprising a body porflopiea of this patent may be tion, said body portion comprising two side bars, collapsible braces, and a flexible covering, side wings and ends mounted on said body portion.

11. A stretcher comprising a body portion, said body portion comprising two side bars, collapsible braces, and a flexible covering secured to said side bars, side wings and ends mounted on said body portion; said body portion, side wings and ends being collapsible.

12. A stretcher comprising a body portion, side and end portions, said body portion comprising two side bars, collapsible braces secured to said side bars, a flexible covering secured to said side bars and said side and end portions, handles formed on the ends of said side bars, legs secured to said side bars, and means secured to said legs for supporting said side portions.

In testimony whereof we hereto aflix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

HARRY L. JOHNSON. WILLIAM H. BRITION.

Witnesses:

J. W. DINSMOBE, J. CLYDE GILFILLAN.

obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). C. 

